Sermon Recap

Continuing on the "Gospel OUT" Series: Walking with the Word (part 1)

Reread: James 1:19-25

Recall: The question that was brought up in the beginning was why read the bible? and so before answering this question, Pastor Steve guided us through the Scripture to see what the bible said about the bible :)

• 2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness"
• 1 Thessalonians 2:13 "And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers"
• Proverbs 6:23 "For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life"
• Proverbs 30:5-6 "Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar"
• Psalm 19:7 "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple"
• Psalm 19:10 "More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb"
• Isaiah 55:11 "so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it"
• Romans 16:26 "but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith"
• Psalm 119:103 "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth"
• Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path"
• Jeremiah 15:16 "Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts"
• Jeremiah 23:29 "Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?"
• Ephesians 6:17 "and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God"
• Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart"
• 1 Peter 2:2 "Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation"
• James 1:21 "Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls"

Restate/Relay: So what is the purpose of reading the Bible? It is to produce and live out the righteousness of God (v20) in order to save our souls (v21). How can we do this? To be quick to listen, slow to speak, and therefore slow to be angry (v19). Meaning we gotta rid ourselves of that self-seeking mindset where we are quick to speak and slow to listen, quick to give our opinion and slow to understand without partiality.. kinda stems out from the heart-attitude of things, i.e. serving self vs. serving God & hence other ppl. Same way goes with reading the Bible... often times i find myself slow to really listen to what's being said in the word, but rather quickly speaking to what I impose on it to mean (hence prone to error of misinterpretation, which isn't so good), or perhaps quick to get onto the rest of my day as the things i've read in the morning fade away as if i'd never read the words on the page to begin with. That and my moral filth (from the influences of social norms, culture, education, tradition, and especially my pride... which ultimately beckons for a love of the self vs. a love for God), like earwax, gets in the way and blocks me from truly listening to His clear words which become muffled and muted from the gradual buildup of wax causing desensitization to His voice, and resulting in disobedience (of which perhaps was in itself the cause of wax buildup?).

What do we do then? What can I do? Simply put from James 1:21-22... (1) repent! (2) receive with meekness the implanted word, not the word that settles on the surface and is blown away by the slightest wind, but the deeply rooted and implanted living word of God in us. (3) apply His teachings to our lives, not merely being hearers and thus deceiving ourselves, but being doers as well! And in that step-wise fashion, before we can even think of doing anything, we need to receive first in obedience. And what is this obedience? It is to look intently into the word, not reading, hearing & forgetting .. but internalizing and letting His living and life-transforming words abide in us.

Pastor Steve gave us some helpful steps to assist in having the word implanted in us (v21b).

1. Hear - Romans 10:17 "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ", Jeremiah 3:15 "And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding"
2. Read - Revelation 1:3 "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near"
3. Study - Acts 17:11 "Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so", 2 Timothy 2:15 "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth"
4. Memorize - Psalm 119:11 "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you", Proverbs 7:1-3 "My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart"
5. Meditate - Joshua 1:8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it", Psalm 1:1-6 "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish"
6. Obey - James 1:22 "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves".. making a conscious effort to change our character!

Respond: In an effort to put this into practice, E proposed we start memorizing scripture :) What a wonderful idea! Funny how I make my sunday school class memorize bible verses, yet chose to neglect this in my own life. It's never too late to start though :)

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires. Therefore put away all filthiness & rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hears only, deceiving yourselves." -- James 1:19-22

Jimmy Needham

& he's a Left-handed guitarist! this song has such a summer-time feel, makes me wanna skip down the street in shorts & a tee lol. LOVE it!



Yours to Take

This is my second chance
This is no song and dance
You came in and renewed a right spirit
This is grace at its best
This is taking a restless, messed up heart and having you clear it

I can feel the weight is lifting
I'm barely staying on the ground
And I can feel the wait is over
Finally the lost is found

[Chorus]
So, this is what it feels like to live life
So, this is breathing air for the very first time
The Son of man, He came here to give life
And in return He's asking for mine
I've Been captured by grace
I'm not going away
I'm Yours to take

I was down for the count
I was up, but knocked out
When I heard pardon for the interruption
Then like out of blue
Out came glorious You

You picked me up without barely any introduction
You won my heart by a landslide
You tend to do that every time
So, everything I have is Yours now
Even my very life

So, this is what it feels like to live life
So, this is breathing air for the very first time
The Son of man, He came here to give life
And in return He asking for mine
Well, I've Been captured by grace
I'm not going away
I'm Yours to take

Your kindness leads me to repentance
Leads me to the cross, which leads me to forgiveness
So, I'm counting it all as lost

So, this is what it feels like to live life
So, this is breathing air for the very first time
The Son of man, He came here to give life
And in return He asking for mine

So, this is what it feels like to live life
So, this is breathing air for the very first time
The Son of man, He came here to give life
And in return He asking for mine
I've been captured by grace
I'm not going away
I'm Yours to take

so good!

i think i have an addiction to BookDepository. my wish list is TOO HUGE! so in an attempt to deflate the possible purchasing of books & not to mention bankruptcy, i've turned my attention back to the uq library system, which is by far the BEST system i've ever experienced. they deliver practically straight to my door, since bsl is like a few seconds away on bike lol. just found out though that their limit for putting things on hold is 25 books! i think its a sign for me to stop procrastinating through searching out books. oh dear.. back to the grind!

Sermon: Reaching Wholeness through Trials

This past Sunday's sermon topic was: "Gospel OUT: Reaching Wholeness through trials"

Reread: James 1:2-18

Recall: This passage is sort of like the Table of Contents/Introduction for the book of James. It gives the reader a taste of what's to come later on in his letter.

Restate: We can achieve wholeness through: enduring trials (v2-4), wisdom from above (v5-8), viewing ourselves as God does (v9-11), receiving God's reward (v12), and knowing where good and bad come from (v13-18).

• to have joy during our trials (v2)
• to achieve steadfastness (this is why we go through trials!), being made perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.. and hence this is why we can have joy in difficult times (v4)
• to ask of God for wisdom (v5)
• to pray in faith without doubting (v6)
• recognizing our place (..our insignificance in this universe)... we will all pass away like the flower of the grass, therefore place our hope in God alone, not in riches (v9-10)
• it isn't God who tempts us to sin, it is our own inner desire that we give into which causes us to sin and ultimately leads us to death (v13-15)
  
• don't be deceived, remember God is the giver of all good things, our every provision is provided by God (v17)
  

Relay: As a Christian we go through 3 phases:

1. Start = regeneration (being born again) & justification (right legal standing before a Holy God, no longer condemned)
2. Process = sanctification (being made holy/'set apart'... to be more like Jesus)
   
3. End = glorification (achieving perfected character & bodies in a new heaven & new earth)

We're all in the process-part of life, being made holy & being made whole (perfect & complete, lacking in nothing - v4)! It is here where the Holy Spirit works in us bit by bit to erase our old way of thinking & being, and to put in us a new heart and mind :) Worldly 'common-sense' says the opposite of what this passage talks about. If ppl are going through hardships, its typical to mope and complain and be bitter and mad while shaking our fists at God. If we want to have wisdom, we get it from worldly ways and 'street smarts'/'book smarts' not 'God-smarts'. The world values the superficial (riches, fame, beauty) wayyyyyyy too much, more than the real treasure that is godliness. Pride is seen as a good thing, meaning u've got lotsa self-esteem, but the bible says we ought to be humble for who is man but a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes! If good things happen its cuz it was hard-earned and deserved, never are we thankful or grateful or acknowledging the Giver of all good gifts, that is our Creator... but if bad things happen, its cuz God is tempting & punishing ppl, we wouldn't dare to stop and think that our own inner evil desire had a part to play in this. How upside down it all is. But as Christians with regenerated hearts & minds, James tells us we ought to be the opposite of all these things!

Reflect: Pastor Steve mentioned a really good quote i forget who by..

"Mountains are good for the view, but it's on the ground where character is built."

Looking back in the past, this is so true. God's pulled me through some pretty unbearable times. its like climbing up a mountain with fog all around u. u can't see where ur going, at times u doubt if ur even going in the right direction, or u just want to stop and give up. but u keep putting one foot in front of the other, and after a while the fog eases up as u've passed the cloudy section. the Sun now beams brightly down on u and to ur amazement u look to where u've come from, ur miles higher now! And just like the Christian walk, u've got the Son to guide u as u keep looking upwards for direction on the mountain path :) and next time u hit a foggy patch, u have gained confidence and know for certainty it will pass as u look forward to the warmth when the sun reappears (but really it has never disappeared).

Exams are coming up in 2 weeks. and studying has been going really reallly slowly! today felt especially excruciating sitting down all day. but looking over this past week, its been a good one! some small & big things that gave me great joy this week were::

• heavy rainfall dancing on the ground (it takes me back home whenever i hear rain's song outside)
• being soaked through and through by rain (at first u fight it and hate the idea of getting wet, but then you give in and all of a sudden how wonderful to feel refreshing water on the face.. its like God's giving me a shower lol. but hrm, gotta remember to take my umbrella with me more often!)
• spontaneous music creation ( i miss jamming with ppl though...and i miss the piano.. )
• smell of fresh rain & fresh cut grass (wherever i am, these smells are always the same. i love it!)
• hearing of random encounters & conversations with random ppl that turn out to be a blessing (how awesome & cool!)
• learning a new chord on the guitar (its still so very hard to bar chords though.. *sigh)
• learning more bout the life Jesus led while he was here on earth (yay for bsf!)
• witnessing faith giants persevere through attack after attack and coming out stronger on the other side (SR u are a great encouragement to my faith! Wow is all i can say)
• seeing someone come to Christ in God's timing, and witnessing the growth and life the Spirit is doing in her heart (Praise God!!!!!)

music memory lane

heard kim walker sing on someone's music mix today! it brought me back to last yr when i just found out about her through the MoveIn Vision website (sidenote- they're definitely worth checking out! its awesome what they're doing in canada.. being intentional with where they move into, and ultimately the neighbors they can reach out to..) but ya, i used to play Kim Walker's song "Where You Go I Go" on repeat till i could no longer bear hearing her....lol. it was a pleasant surprise hearing her voice today though. Made me re-visit MoveIn, and her music :)




Where You Go I Go :
Where You go I go
What You say I say
What You pray I pray
(repeat 2x)

Jesus only did, What he saw You do
He would only say, What he heard You speak
He would only move, When he felt You lead
Following Your heart, Following Your spirit

How could I expect to walk without You
When every move that Jesus made was in surrender
I would not begin to live without You
For You alone are worthy You are always good

You are always good
You are always good
Always good
Always good

(Bridge)
Though the world seems to forget
We will not forget
Who You are and what You've done for us

You are my God
(repeat 5x)


Was also reminded of Lecrae when checking out MoveIn again. They write biblically sound musically stirring intellectually provoking lyrics! and were the sole reason why i started liking rap last yr. Given the thumbs up by John Piper as well (its funny picturing him listening to lecrae while bobbing his head up and down haha.. )




Don't waste your life
[Verse 1]
I know a lot of people out there scared they gone die
couple of em thinking they'll be livin in the sky
but while Im here livin man I gotta ask why
what am here fo I gotta figure out
waste my life/ no I gotta make it count
if Christ is real then what am I gone do about
all of the things in Luke 12:15 down to 21 you really oughta go and check it out
Paul said if Christ aint resurrect then we wasted our lives
well that implies that our life's built around Jesus being alive
everyday I'm living tryin show the world why
Christ is more than everything you'll ever try
better than pretty women and sinning and living
to get a minute of any women and men that you admire aint no lie
We created for Him outta the dust he made us for Him
Elects us and he saves us for Him Jesus comes and raises for Him
Magnify the Father why bother with something lesser
he made us so we could bless Him and to the world we confess him
resurrects him so I know I got life matter fact better man I know I got Christ
if you don't' see His ways in my days and nights
you can hit my brakes you can stop my lights
man I lost my rights I lost my life
forget the money cars and toss that ice
the cost is Christ
and they could never offer me anything on the planet that'll cost that price

[Verse 2]
Suffer Yeah do it for Christ if you trying to figure what to do with your life
if you making money hope you doing it right
because the money is Gods you better steward it right
stay focused if you aint got no ride
your life aint wrapped up in what you drive
the clothes you wear the job you work
the color your skin naw we Christian first
people living life for a job make a lil money start living for a car
get em a house a wife kids and a dog when they retire they living high on the hog
but guess what they didn't ever really live at all to live is Christ yeah that's Paul I recall
to die is gain so for Christ we give it all he's the treasure you'll find in the mall
Your money your singleness marriage talent and time
they were loaned to you to show the world that Christ is Divine
that's why it's Christ in my rhymes That's why it's Christ all the time
my whole world is built around him He's the life in my lines
I refused to waste my life he's too true ta chase that ice
heres my gifts and time cause I'm constantly trying to be used to praise the Christ
If he's truly raised to life then this news should change your life
and by his grace you can put your faith in place that rules your days and nights

Gospel Out!

On Sunday we began a new sermon series "Gospel Out." Previously we were looking at "The Contenders" series where we learned about the core doctrines of the faith (+ some church history), which was the "gospel in"-phase so to say.

Reread: Sunday's passage was on James 1:1

Recall: The author is Jacob (i.e. James), the younger brother of Jesus. Also known as "James the Just" or "James the Righteous." The book was written fairly soon after Jesus' resurrection (40AD). Although James was the brother of Jesus, while Jesus was on earth, James and his brothers did not believe He was the true Messiah (John 7:5). It was only after Jesus was raised from the dead did they believe (Acts 1:14). This makes me think a bit... it would have been easy for Jesus to have shown his brothers so many miraculous things (although the way he lived out his life perfectly is a testimony in itself) when growing up that they couldn't possibly NOT believe, yet Jesus must have refrained from doing so, because He never did anything to please man, only to please His Father in heaven. Just looking at John 7:3-9, it simply blows me away. Its as if his brothers are taunting him, 'if you're really who you say you are, why don't you show yourself to the world'... when really they had unbelieving hearts, trusting with their eyes and not with faith. Still Jesus stood His ground; He's never swayed by what people say, but always looks to the Father and His will!

Restate: This is taking it word for word from Pastor Steve's sermon. We are to learn from James' example by recognizing who Jesus is, by living in response to this recognition (i.e. as His servant), by following Jesus wholeheartedly as Lord, by having our character transformed into the likeness of Christ, and by being a people living under the authority of God.

Relay: The concept of "Gospel In --> Gospel Out" is so good. In BSF (Bible Study Fellowship), we've just finished the passage where Jesus said "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." And in "Gospel In" fashion, we are to eat of Him.. i.e. to believe and appropriate in our hearts the life of Jesus, done by 'eating' His words, not that they would just be internalized and sit there, but that His living words would be deep-seated and grow fruit, so that whoever looks on us may be pointed towards Christ, just as how we see God the Father through Christ.

Respond: The question Pastor Steve posed was "Am I living as a servant?" Do I trust Jesus as Saviour & follow Jesus as Lord? At times it feels life as a student is such a hindrance, always kept behind books... what am I doing for the Kingdom, when I'm stuck in a cubicle?? but its really such a privilege to be a student and to be learning. and we ought to be good stewards of the task at hand. Time is gonna be on short supply in the next few weeks to come as we hit exam time.. but its good to keep priorities straight, still making time for the things that matter eternally!

making the most of Sunday sermons

i randomly stumbled across this blog from Grace Church in Wyoming. And wow, it has a lot of good stuff! I'm now a subscribed reader lol.

Reading this post, I thought it was wonderful! Often after listening to sermons, I don't really know how to collect my thoughts. They're usually running in all directions, and I just randomly pick at them... but sometimes its too late and the thoughts disappear (only to slightly reappear in CG - community group). Pastor Dave VanAcker from Grace Church posted a really structured way to respond to the teaching & preaching of the Word, and they all start with 'R'! How rocking!

• Reread the Biblical text(s) from the pastor’s message.
• Recall any contextual notes that the pastor made regarding the Biblical text(s).
• Restate, as clearly as possible, the main points from the pastor’s message.
• Relay your general thoughts and/or feelings after hearing the pastor’s message.
• Respond by sharing any practical implications/applications of the Biblical text(s) that the pastor gave in his message (as well as few personal implications/applications of your own).
• Relate to one another by committing to pray for and hold one another accountable for living out the truths communicated by the pastor.
• Reflect the truths communicated by the pastor to each other (strengthening up the church), the world (evangelism and mercy), and to God (worship).

Wistoni Nyamwanji :)

its kinda strange, but i don't feel sad or happy bout the outcome, just in the middle... perhaps this is peace i'm feeling? i'm not sure. but have definitely been praying for it.

on another note, today is a good day, for I finally got a baby brother, or at least I'd like to think of him like that. His name is Wistoni, 6 years old, and from Tanzania. I've been holding onto him for quite a while without submitting any payment.... i wasn't fully ready to open up my wallet to him... really i wasn't willing to open up my heart. But now I'm a full-fledged sponsor! A picture of him sits on my desk, so every time I look up from all this studying, I can smile as I think about what he's doing in Tanzania, and what a joy it is to share what little I have which means a whole world of a difference for him.

Meet Wistoni :)

Homeless Connect

Yesterday got the privilege to volunteer at Homeless Connect Brisbane. It's an event where homeless or ppl at risk can come and look at what services they have access to, as well as enjoy lots of food, live music, among many other things! It started up in 2006 and has been running twice a year ever since. The main idea behind it all is to make sure people know what service agencies are out there, so if they need help, they can get it! It's a BRILLIANT IDEA!

I'd heard a handful of the organizations/services before, but never knew there were THIS many! The sorts of service agencies they had were for accommodation help, financial assistance services, health checkup places, mental health help, drug & alcohol support, employment & training programs, counselling services, legal assistance help, outreach vans (for food..), places for support for aged/disabled/Indigenous/women/youth, etc. How wonderful to have all these services in one place! One of the biggest easily avoidable problems is people don't know WHERE to look for help. Met a man, who struggled so much on the streets at first just because he never knew where to go. I'm sure there are many others too. But thats why HC exists!

Along with all the booths that were set up (& the free stuff they were giving out at the booths), they had heaps of other things going on! Hairdressers, beauticians, a professional photographer, GPs, massage therapists, dentists, physiotherapists, optometrists, ophthalmologists, Vinnies donated heaps of stuff that people could take for free, there were showers, laundry & dryer, free blankets & swags (learned a new aussie word! lol. at first i thought they were saying 'snags'...which are sausages, but swags are like rolled up bedding ppl use when roughing it on the streets. BIG difference haha), they also had a computer area for people who wanted to use the internet/computer or get help with computer skills/resumes/etc.

It was the little things of the day that really made it special though. For example, for lunch the guests sat down, and ppl waited on them.. its something that's not all that familiar a feeling, and something that was much appreciated by the guests. also taking ppl's rubbish and throwing it out for them, or asking if ppl wanted a top-up of their coffee/tea, and most of all, just walking up to ppl/sitting next to guests and asking how their day's been going :) I remember during volunteer orientation, we were told to go out of our way to make the guests feel special. The fact that the O-leader called them guests was Awesome! This day was their day, and we were to treat them like kings & queens, to really pamper & spoil them. The big thing that stuck was when he said, "Treat the guests the way you'd like to be treated!" and "Go the extra bit to make people feel comfortable & welcomed & loved!" I thought to myself, wow, what awesome biblical principles, to be all things to all men, to really love with action. And then thought, wouldn't it be wonderful if all Christians could be like this everyday? what if I could be like this everyday? Not that I'm in contact with a lotta homeless in my bubble of uni & church life tucked away in st. lucia.. but hoping that won't always be the case.

Anyways, all in all a wonderful day yesterday - met some lovely people & had some memorable conversations, listened to some awesome music, learned bout lotsa services out there to help the homeless, and just really enjoyed myself. Except i did lose my shirt... when arriving we had to change into volunteer shirts, so i left my shirt (& hairband) with the other shirts behind a table, at the end of the day it was gone. Hope they don't mind i took the volunteer shirt, had no choice hahah. i must say, i got the better end of the deal, this polo shirt totally outshines the other one i was wearing !

sidenote.... it'd be so awesome if many cities back home had HC events? although, i think vancouver, calgary & edmonton are already on the ball with this.. =) the idea is catching like wildfire!

We are Loved

VERSE 1

Love is a funny thing, it makes the rain feel dry (E/G# A B)

and the birds start singing, and the sun is shining (E/G# A)

from this joy that fills our lives. (B)

VERSE 2

Love is never failing, it withstands the greatest storm

and even when this world is crumbling

theRock we stand on is firm

PRE-CHORUS

For we are loved, by the One who is love (E E/F# A E/G#)

Who sent His Son, to this world so we might live (E E/F# A E/G#)

and be made redeemed to be a people set apart (C#m B A)

Yes we are loved. (E E/F# E/G# A)

CHORUS

No power in hell or on earth, can separate us from our worth (E B/D# C#m B A)

We are His children, on solid Rock we stand! (E/G# A B E)

No fear of pain or fear of death, it's all cast out in righteousness (E B/D# C#m B A)

He is a God of love and in His love we stand! (E/G# A B E)

VERSE 3

Love is a selfless thing, it puts the other first

it bears all things, believes all things

it hopes and endures

I got a book a while back from a used book sale, only $2!! Finally got a chance to read it a few weeks ago. It's called Give up your small ambitions by Michael Griffiths. He talks through the practicalities of what it means to be a missionary (in his context he focuses more on overseas missions... but thought it was really applicable to now as well). Since no matter where we are, in the middle of Africa, among the innercity shelters, or in our classrooms or workplaces, we're all missionaries & lights representative of God and His Kingdom calling out to others to come see and taste this great news, that we can have true everlasting life and be freed from all sin and all guilt because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross!

The big things i learned from this book were (1) know the Bible well! (2) know the culture of who I'm reaching out to well (3) know myself well - what are my strengths & weaknesses (4) know God well (grow & deepen our relationship with God)..which should be the outflow of #1. by knowing God well, our faith becomes more & more grounded in Him. so no matter what is thrown our way, no matter what discouragement or lack of inspiration we receive, still we keep on plodding for the Lord & His Kingdom's sake!

Some quotes to think on for later.

"By the grace of God we are what we are, and we are not what we are not"

"A people's soul is open only to the missionary who lives among them, and learns their language, their traditions, their customs, their ideas, and their values. If the missionary is indifferent to the culture in which he lives, if he pays no attention to the public opinion, if he is not interested in the best literary and artistic expressions of that people, how can he know the thinking and the feelings of the people?"

"The younger a missionary is, the more likely he or she is able to adapt and identify"

"The single worker is single-minded in his or her devotion to the Lord, and is able to devote more time to direct Christian work"

"It is not only that men have a deep need, but that I am answerable for whether or not I have really sought to meet men's need."

"A missionary needs not only to be an expert in his own subject - that is in the Bible - but also to have the widest knowledge of the language and culture of the country to which he goes. He needs a real breadth of reading; he will have to meet people from all walks of life, and it will be of great value if he can take an informed interest in them"

"Every member of the Mission is expected to recognize that this dependence for the supply of all his need is on God, who called him, and for whom he works, and not on the human organization... their faith must be in God, their expectation from Him. The funds might fail or the Mission might cease to exist, but if they put their trust in Him He will never fail nor disappoint them." (Hydson Taylor)

"There is a real danger that those bitten by a 'missionary bug' will spend all their time thinking about the future and neglect the present. It was significant that the men whom the churches chose and sent in Acts were people who were already active in the churches"

"There is a great deal that is tedious and humdrum in the life of a missionary: there is a great deal of heart-break and disappointment, not least with one's self. The wonderful things never seem to happen where we are. One spends so much time just 'plodding'. One is always having to discover that 'longsuffering' is just as much a fruit of the Spirit as 'joy'."

moments like today are so precious. walking out of the house, breathing in fresh air, feeling the sun warm you, the wind whispering to you, each step so light like dancing, my heart beaming and full of inexpressible joy :) i know emotions aren't the driving force to our faith, but it sure does feel nice when those moments come. what inexpressible joy knowing I am His. Love between man and woman is a beautiful thing, so is love between a mother and her child, but even more beautiful is the love Christ has for His Church, that is for us! Everything pales and is overshadowed in comparison to His love for us! This love He has that neither death nor life nor angels nor rulers nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor anything else in all creation can separate!